If you’re in the music business and your career is taking off, there may come a time when you will need to relocate. Whether this is a temporary move to collaborate with another musician or a permanent relocation to be a part of another music community, this can create a major headache if you don’t know how to relocate safely. Here are four things to keep in mind if you have to pull up stakes for the sake of your music career.
If you’re a professional musician, you are probably aware of how fragile certain musical instruments can be. You might have even taken precautions to keep them in the best possible playing condition in your own home. What you might not know is that you have to take even better care of them when you move. Relocation is hard on a musical instruments, especially if you’re dealing with fragile wooden instruments such as violins or classical guitars. These instruments should be treated as delicately as fine china and be packed as securely as possible.
If you have your instruments in hard-shelled cases, you should be able to pack them with the rest of your household goods. They shouldn’t be jostled around too much, but they should be safe with the rest of your belongings. If you have a soft-shelled case or a padded gig bag, you need to be a little more careful. Pack them in a place where they won’t be banged against any furniture, and use towels or some other cushioning around the cases to hold them in place safely.
Musical instruments shouldn’t be kept anywhere that is too dry or too hot or cold for long. Lower temperatures and low humidity can cause wooden instruments to crack, and heat can cause seams to open up. If you have to ship instruments over long distances or store them for a long period of time, make sure they are kept in a climate-controlled space. When you get them to your destination, give them 24 hours to acclimate to the new climate before playing them.
The best way to pack recording equipment for a move is to place them back into their original packaging. If you don’t have the original packaging, see if you can find boxes that are roughly the same dimensions and secure the equipment as safely as possible. Make sure you have enough Styrofoam or cushioning materials to ensure that everything is safely packaged and moved.
If you aren’t comfortable moving all of your delicate instruments and recording equipment yourself, you can always hire a professional moving company such as Wheaton World Wide Moving. They will know how to handle your more delicate belongings, but you should still make sure to tell anyone helping you move how to best take care of them. By communicating and letting professionals help you, you can lower your stress level about moving and be more confident in everything being handled safely.
Relocating to a new home to further your musical career can be exciting, but you still need to make sure that all of your gear makes it to your new home in one piece. Keep these tips in mind, and remember to treat all of your instruments with care. Few things will derail the career of a starving young artist like having to replace damaged gear.